1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to carrier strips for tubular structure, and more particularly to a carrier strip for labeling, grouping and/or handling small tubular structures such as laboratory test tubes.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wide variety of tubular structures are currently in use in the medical, biological and chemical fields for storage, transport and organization of fluids and solids. These structures are typically in the form of glass or plastic test tubes and come in a large number of shapes and sizes. Laboratory practice requires extremely accurate and dependable labeling and handling of test tubes. Typically, these test tubes are organized, transported and/or stored in racks or frames. Given the variety of sizes and shapes of test tubes, these racks are not generally adapted to securely hold the test tubes and, further, are not readily adaptable for labeling and accurate organization. Similarly, the smooth texture of the test tube walls make direct labeling and identification difficult. These difficulties can result in accidental spillage, loss of specimens, and increased errors and misapplications of the test tube contents. Therefore, there is a clear need for a system and apparatus which permits accurate and secure labeling, grouping and handling of test tube type structure, particularly in the laboratory setting.
The use of tape structure for transportation manipulation and/or organization is generally known. Carrier tapes are commonly used in the manufacturing industry to move miniature or subminiature components or products from various manufacturing stations in connection with production and assembly operations. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,911 to Schulte et al. Similarly, tape structure has been utilized in the packaging and organization of small items such as nails, screws and bolts. This structure is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,631 to Lejdegard et al. As shown, the screws or bolts are threaded into holes formed in a strip of material such as, for example, nylon. The strip then serves as package for the items. None of the above-identified tape structures are contemplated or suggested for use in the identification, organization, handling and/or transportation of tubular structure in scientific or laboratory settings.
Accordingly, in response to the inadequacies of current laboratory practices, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier strip for tubular structure which provides improved identification, labeling, organization, handling and/or transportation of tubular structures such as laboratory test tubes.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a carrier strip wherein tubular structure is easily inserted into and removed from the strip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier strip which can firmly secure the tubular structure without damage and will not disengage if dropped or inverted.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a carrier strip which is easily labeled and adapted for efficient organization.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier strip which can be visually coded for ease of identification and organization.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a carrier strip which is adapted to hold a plurality of tubular structures together.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a carrier strip which is easily inserted into and securely held by laboratory instrumentation and apparatus thus inhibiting the disengagement, loss or spillage of the tubular structure retained therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier strip which can be quickly and easily customized to hold a wide variety and number of tubular structures.